How to Determine If Tiles Contain Asbestos

The asbestos network indicates that you cannot tell whether your floor tiles contain asbestos by looking at them. The tiles may be labeled, or perhaps you saw the specific tiles you have on a list of materials that contain asbestos, or maybe you're just suspicious because your house is old. The American Lung Association (ALA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) both recommend using qualified professionals to identify, remove or repair floor tiles or any material containing asbestos.

Things You'll Need

• Telephone
• Literature
• Internet access

Instructions

1. Check for worn areas, tears, abrasions and water damage. If the tiles are damaged, don't touch, hit, rub or handle them, because they may release asbestos fibers. If they are in good shape, do nothing.

2. Contact The National Institute for Standards and Technology if you need an inspection. The institute maintains an online listing of laboratories certified to do Polarized Light Microscopy or Transmission Electron Microscopy, approved methods of analyzing asbestos. You may also call the Institute at (301) 975--4016 for more information.

3. Select and hire a contractor to inspect your home. According to the EPA, you should receive the following services under your inspection or assessment contract: a complete visual examination; careful collection and lab analysis of samples; a written evaluation describing the location of any asbestos, along with the extent of damage, and recommendations for correction or prevention.

4. Decide whether you need to take action based on the inspection report. Do you need to remove, repair, cover the asbestos, or leave it alone?

5. Perform a maintenance routine. The White Lung Association suggest that if asbestos materials are left in place, you should take precautions and label and monitor with the goal of preventing fibers from entering the air.

6. Hire a contractor if you decide to repair, remove or cover any asbestos that was found. The EPA recommends the following: "Before work begins, get a written contract specifying the work plan, cleanup, and the applicable federal, state, and local regulations which the contractor must follow (such as notification requirements and asbestos disposal procedures). Contact your state and local health departments, EPA regional office, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration regional office to find out what the regulations are." For information on asbestos programs, call the EPA at [phone].

Tips & Warnings

• The EPA suggests you may not want to use the same contractor for inspection and to clean, remove or resolve an asbestos problem. One contractor should do your inspection, the other the removal.

• Disturbed materials containing asbestos may release asbestos fibers into the air, especially if it crumbles. Asbestos fibers can be inhaled and remain in the lungs for a long time, increasing the risk of disease. Beware of resilient floor tiles (vinyl asbestos, asphalt and rubber), the backing on vinyl sheet flooring, and adhesives used for installing floor tile. Sanding of tiles can release fibers. So can scraping or sanding the backing of sheet flooring during removal.

References

• Asbestos in Your Home
• Is There Asbestos in My Home?
• Should I Leave the Asbestos Alone, Repair It or Remove It